Thursday, June 15, 2017

By Juan Montoya
The courthouse was all abuzz as word spread that City of Brownsville City Manager Charlie Cabler and City Attorney Mark Sossi had been called to testify before a grand jury allegedly probing into the approval for a private ambulance company to operate in the city.

The operation of an ambulance inside the city limits is tightly controlled by state law and municipal rules. Only a few private companies have been able to get city approval, and very limited at that.

Some observers say that the approval of Intercity Ambulance Emergency Technicians LLC is the provider in question and that it may lack the proper licensing to operate in the city. The owner of the Intercity Ambulance Emergency Medical Technicians LLC is Justin Oakerson, who has sued the city in the past claiming retaliation for testimony he gave in a dispute between firefighters and the city in 2014.

After he lost in federal district court, Oakerson appealed the summary judgments given the city. On July 25, 2016, the Fifth Circuit affirmed the lower court judgments and stated that "Plaintiffs seek both equitable and declaratory relief. First, Plaintiffs seek a declaration that the City 'equitably licensed' them to operate within its limits. Second, Plaintiffs seek an injunction requiring the City to issue them an official license to operate. Third, Plaintiffs argue that the City implicitly granted IAEMT a license to operate within City limits under the theory of equitable estoppel. The district court granted summary judgment to the city and the appeals court also affirmed.

Oakerson also claimed in an amended petition that the city's failure to cite other ambulatory service companies for operating without a license violated this Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, but later abandoned the claim.

And just as people wondered why Cabler and Sossi had been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury, there was also rumors that the probe was somehow linked to Brownsville Fire Chief Carlos Elizondo, who has been linked to the private ambulance company and who has been instrumental in instituting classes for EMT's through the Brownsville Independent School District and Texas Southmost College.

Tongues also started wagging after Sossi, Cabler, Elizondo and BISD general counsel Baltazar Salazar and his wife were seen huddled at a local restaurant with what appeared to be two attorneys from out of town.

Currently, TSC has inked a $200,000-plus deal to teach firefighters first responder medical care while the BISD has inked a similar deal for more than $700,000.

So far there were no indictments made public by the Cameron County District Attorney's Office after the state grand jury was assembled.

10 comments:

Rene Oliveira has done nothing about the lateness of ztenaska and Space X. Unemployment numbers are in the teens all ths time. Low paying jobs. Go to cobbleheads and there is Rene drinking and drinking and moving his jaw and tongue. Home wrecker. Buying vilnerable ladies clothing at Dillards as he drinks and dri ks in Adolios. He does nothing for the community except buy panties at Dillards for dezperate ladies. He is a turn off Nd looks like overweight frog. Do not go to Mchales site because McHale has memmories of intense partys with Tony Gray and McHale promotes Renes chasi g of skirts. Do not vite for Rene Oliveira if you have a mom or daughter. This oliveira is out of control

And now they're all gonna blame someone else. Carlos Elizondo is going to say it's a personal vendetta and they're all innocent like all the rest of the rataz. Elizondo Cabler and especially Sossi are crooks.

It's all a cover up. They (elizondo, Erie,cabler) are all in it together. Everyone know it there in the department. They need to think about the people and the city that benefits them not themselves. Greedy.

Who cares??? The city obviously does want to provide the good citizens of Brownsville adequate emergency care. Old Gowen is too busy pushing her bullshit agendas and Martinez has head so far up her ass!!